Thematic Bible: Cruelty


Thematic Bible





Cursed is their anger, for it is fierce, And their wrath, for it is sharp; I divide them in Jacob, And I scatter them in Israel.

A stone is heavy, and the sand is heavy, And the anger of a fool Is heavier than they both. Fury is fierce, and anger is overflowing, And who standeth before jealousy?


and the people who are in it he hath brought out, and setteth to the saw, and to cutting instruments of iron, and to axes of iron, and hath caused them to pass over into the brick-kiln; and so he doth to all the cities of the Bene-Ammon; and David turneth back, and all the people, to Jerusalem.

And the sons of Zedekiah they have slaughtered before his eyes, and the eyes of Zedekiah he hath blinded, and bindeth him with brazen fetters, and they bring him to Babylon.

And Adoni-Bezek fleeth, and they pursue after him, and seize him, and cut off his thumbs and his great toes,

who such a charge having received, did put them to the inner prison, and their feet made fast in the stocks.

and Pharaoh layeth a charge on all his people, saying, 'Every son who is born -- into the River ye do cast him, and every daughter ye do keep alive.'

and take him and cast him into the pit, and the pit is empty, there is no water in it.

And all the people also cut down each one his bough, and go after Abimelech, and set them at the high place, and burn by these the high place with fire, and also all the men of the tower of Shechem die, about a thousand men and women.

And Nahash the Ammonite saith unto them, 'For this I covenant with you, by picking out to you every right eye -- and I have put it a reproach on all Israel.'

And they take Jeremiah, and cast him into the pit of Malchiah son of the king, that is in the court of the prison, and they send down Jeremiah with cords; and in the pit there is no water, but mire, and Jeremiah sinketh in the mire.

and to certain mighty men who are in his force he hath said to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, to cast into the burning fiery furnace.

And the soldiers' counsel was that they should kill the prisoners, lest any one having swam out should escape,


and the ass seeth the messenger of Jehovah, and croucheth under Balaam, and the anger of Balaam burneth, and he smiteth the ass with a staff.


and David captureth from him a thousand and seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen, and David destroyeth utterly the whole of the charioteers, only he leaveth of them a hundred charioteers.

and David captureth from him a thousand chariots, and seven thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen, and David destroyeth utterly all the chariots, and leaveth of them a hundred chariots only.


Simeon and Levi are brethren! Instruments of violence -- their espousals!

Give me not to the will of my adversaries, For risen against me have false witnesses, And they breathe out violence to me.

A kind man is rewarding his own soul, And the fierce is troubling his own flesh.



and having blindfolded him, they were striking him on the face, and were questioning him, saying, 'Prophesy who he is who smote thee?'



and having unclothed him, they put around him a crimson cloak, and having plaited him a crown out of thorns they put it on his head, and a reed in his right hand, and having kneeled before him, they were mocking him, saying, 'Hail, the king of the Jews.' And having spit on him, they took the reed, and were smiting on his head; read more.
and when they had mocked him, they took off from him the cloak, and put on him his own garments, and led him away to crucify him.


And Abram saith unto Sarai, 'Lo, thine handmaid is in thine hand, do to her that which is good in thine eyes;' and Sarai afflicted her, and she fleeth from her presence.

and Sarah seeth the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she hath borne to Abraham, mocking, and she saith to Abraham, 'Cast out this handmaid and her son; for the son of this handmaid hath no possession with my son -- with Isaac.' And the thing is very wrong in the eyes of Abraham, for his son's sake; read more.
and God saith unto Abraham, 'Let it not be wrong in thine eyes because of the youth, and because of thy handmaid: all that Sarah saith unto thee -- hearken to her voice, for in Isaac is a seed called to thee. As to the son of the handmaid also, for a nation I set him, because he is thy seed.' And Abraham riseth early in the morning, and taketh bread, and a bottle of water, and giveth unto Hagar (placing it on her shoulder), also the lad, and sendeth her out; and she goeth on, and goeth astray in the wilderness of Beer-Sheba;


And the day cometh, and Elkanah sacrificeth, and he hath given to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions, and to Hannah he giveth a certain portion -- double, for he hath loved Hannah, and Jehovah hath shut her womb; and her adversity hath also provoked her greatly, so as to make her tremble, for Jehovah hath shut up her womb. read more.
And so he doth year by year, from the time of her going up into the house of Jehovah, so it provoketh her, and she weepeth, and doth not eat.

Ye multiply not -- ye speak haughtily -- The old saying goeth out from your mouth, For a God of knowledge is Jehovah, And by Him actions are weighed.


And bows dash young men to pieces, And the fruit of the womb they pity not, On sons their eye hath no pity.

And their sucklings are dashed to pieces before their eyes, Spoiled are their houses, and their wives lain with.


And Pharaoh commandeth, on that day, the exactors among the people and its authorities, saying, Ye do not add to give straw to the people for the making of the bricks, as heretofore -- they go and have gathered straw for themselves; and the proper quantity of the bricks which they are making heretofore ye do put on them, ye do not diminish from it, for they are remiss, therefore they are crying, saying, Let us go, let us sacrifice to our God; read more.
let the service be heavy on the men, and let them work at it, and not be dazzled by lying words.' And the exactors of the people, and its authorities, go out, and speak unto the people, saying, 'Thus said Pharaoh, I do not give you straw, ye -- go ye, take for yourselves straw where ye find it, for there is nothing of your service diminished.' And the people is scattered over all the land of Egypt, to gather stubble for straw, and the exactors are making haste, saying, 'Complete your works, the matter of a day in its day, as when there is straw.' And the authorities of the sons of Israel, whom the exactors of Pharaoh have placed over them, are beaten, saying, 'Wherefore have ye not completed your portion in making brick as heretofore, both yesterday and to-day?' And the authorities of the sons of Israel come in and cry unto Pharaoh, saying, 'Why dost thou thus to thy servants? Straw is not given to thy servants, and they are saying to us, Make bricks, and lo, thy servants are smitten -- and thy people hath sinned.' And he saith, 'Remiss -- ye are remiss, therefore ye are saying, Let us go, let us sacrifice to Jehovah; and now, go, serve; and straw is not given to you, and the measure of bricks ye do give.'


Therefore, give up their sons to famine, And cause them to run on the sides of the sword, And their wives are bereaved and widows, And their men are slain by death, Their young men smitten by sword in battle,

Wives in Zion they have humbled, Virgins -- in cities of Judah. Princes by their hand have been hanged, The faces of elders have not been honoured. Young men to grind they have taken, And youths with wood have stumbled. read more.
The aged from the gate have ceased, Young men from their song.